THANKFUL...

I woke up to Saturday immediately realizing it was a day of hopes and expectations as my son Eric was returning from a whirlwind string of shows that reached from Nashville to towns in North Carolina, then a flight to Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts and right back to Nashville for a final show before returning home to Mobile. He kept me updated; it sounded like it was fun, it was exhilarating and in many ways the equivalent of a fast paced music marathon. 

Getting him back home safely was my number one concern. Getting him home on time for the first of his two shows of the day was next on my mind. The hope that he had health and strength to make it through these shows after getting almost no sleep and driving 7 straight hours to get here also bounced around in my head as one of my concerns. My poor head was overcrowded with thoughts and I calmed myself with the knowledge that he has done this for years, he is smart in many ways, he knows what he is doing, he is a grown person. "It will all work out" (I whispered to myself).

The first show was two hours in the heat of the day on Dauphin Island, near Mobile. 

The sun was bearing down like nothing I had ever witnessed before. It was blistering hot outside as we listened to Eric play at the Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo. It has been a tradition on Dauphin Island, Alabama for almost 30 years and is a crowd pleaser.

There were people who worked at the booths and display tents, ones who ran sound, and musicians who played, there were those who weighed the fish and marked the leader board;  all were exceptional folks. It is a three day event and even though I only saw this one day, I can say it ran smoothly and everyone I saw appreciated the hard work and enjoyed everything that was being offered. Many of the people working there were friends so it was wonderful to see the familiar faces and get so many hugs. Old friends, new friends and other friendly people came to enjoy the fishing rodeo and to check out the size and variety of fish caught by so many people as well as to examine the names on that huge leader board. Each wanted to find the name of their favorite fisherman (or fisherwoman) listed there.

At times I felt the clock had stopped as the heat held me down, draining my energy. I was near motionless and my clothes were damp with sweat; but finally it was 5 o’clock and time to load up and head home to freshen up and drop off Leon before heading downtown to Eric's final gig of the day at the Listening Room.

We parked in the adjacent parking lot and entered the Listening Room for the night’s show. He would be sharing the stage with two guys I was not familiar with, though I did hear one of them briefly one night. I had heard Abe Partridge but never Shawn Byrne.  I quickly learned that Shawn is originally from Boston but moved to Nashville 14 years ago. He produces music and actually produced Abe’s CD after they met in Orange Beach Alabama while participating in the Songwriters’ Shootout competition. So they had played together a few times and Shawn played guitar on Abe’s CD. 

There was a full house of enthusiastic listeners in the Listening Room that night. Every seat was taken and some stood in the back. Some had not heard Eric before, but most were familiar fans. The joining of these three musicians created what I would call a very diverse group. Shawn, to me, is very much country music oriented and played at least one bluegrass song. He was a very proficient guitarist and some of his songs had unusual lyrics, i.e. “Tittie Pink Cadillac”. He is a seasoned musician with years of experience under his belt.

Abe speaks in one voice, yet sings in quite another. It surprised some who had never heard him.   A few months ago I heard a songwriter round at the Listening Room that included Abe and I was familiar with his  gravely voiced singing. He is very Tom Waits sounding as he sings his often dark, brooding lyrics. If you listen closely, the lines of each of Abe’s songs are deeply moving and emotionally driven. He is a war veteran who saw things he is unable to shake free from his soul. As he sang his song about the war he was soon standing and he trembled with the very feeling that he was still there in war and hauntingly unable to determine who is the good guy, who is the bad? Abe also spoke of the years he spent in Kentucky where he was the pastor of a church. I could see that connection immediately as he was so passionate about what he was singing in that gravely, crackling Tom Waits style voice of his.

Needless to say, there was nothing normal about this evening. The audience was different as it contained many people I had not seen before. The singers were different and unfamiliar to me. The whole vibe of the room was different as the emotions poured from the throats of these three men. From their audience, these three guys pulled laughter, awe and even tears with emotional messages about life, war, loneliness, love found and love lost.

What a way to finish a day that started out with such anxiety for me.

Soon I was driving towards home and reviewing the day. My word for this day was thankful. I was so thankful Eric made it home safely, he made it in time for his first show and he performed like a champ in both gigs. I was proud, I was tired and I was thankful for another wonderful day on this earth.